A Prostitutes Party

I was listening to an amazing podcast yesterday and I was really inspired to show the world more and more of who Jesus is. Ok, this may go against all the traditional beliefs and things that I know I was taught in Sunday school. This reality showed its face to me and I really want this to be my heart for people. He told this story of a Pastor who was visiting in Hawaii and couldn’t sleep. He was hungry at 3am Hawaii time and so he started to walk around in Honolulu. He came upon a diner that was the only place open. He went in and had a donut and coffee. The owner walked over and without a plate or napkin handed him the donut on the countertop. Now here in Orange County we would totally think about that and not eat it but he was hungry so he did. Well as he was sitting there in this dirty diner, 6 prostitutes walked in for some breakfast. Sitting around him they began to talk and then one of them said, “My birthday is tomorrow.” Another one said to her, “So, Agnes, why did you tell us that.” She replied, “I don’t know, I have never had a party before or a birthday cake. I just thought I would tell you.” The rest of them just looked at her and then began talking about other things. She said, “I am not sure why I told you, I just thought you should know.” So they went on eating and then left. The Pastor called the owner of the diner over and said, “Let’s throw Agnes a birthday party. I will go get the balloons and streamers and we can decorate this place and get a cake.” The owner agreed and so the pastor went that day and got all the stuff to decorate the place and the owner made the cake. At around 2am the pastor showed up at the diner and started to decorate as it got closer to the time that Agnes would arrive people from all over started to show up. Pimps, prostitutes, and all sorts filled up the diner. Then came time for Agnes and her friends to show up, they walked in and everyone began to sing to her. She started to cry and was so overwhelmed she couldn’t even blow out her candles. As they got ready to cut the cake she stopped them and asked if she could take it home to show her mother. She wanted to keep it and so she took it and left the party. So with all the people standing there with no cake and no birthday girl, the pastor asked for everyone to bow their heads and pray. He prayed that God would bless Agnes and that she would learn of His love for her. As he finished the room remained silent for a few moments then everyone went on with their conversations. The diner owner asked the pastor what church he went to and the pastor replied, “The church that throws prostitutes birthday parties at 3 am.” The owner sternly said, “NO! NO! Because if that were the case, then I would go to that church.” WOW! I want that to be my heart for people. This story really touched me because how many opportunities we might miss to get down and dirty with Jesus. I want the lost to see Jesus. I can’t let Jesus and his saving grace stop with me, it needs to go through me. I need to be just a vessel that holds it and pours out God’s love on others. I know that we need to not get entangled with the world but who ever said we can’t love the world the way Jesus did. He died for the world. I believe that we aren’t supposed to love the world like the world loves itself but I do believe that unless we get down and dirty with it then we aren’t truly sharing Christ’s love to this lost world. I want to get down and dirty with Jesus, I want to trudge through the stuff others think is yucky so that the world will know the Saving Grace that we are so fortunate to have. If someone else didn’t have that kind of heart, would you know Jesus? Would you know his Amazing Grace if someone didn’t throw a prostitute a birthday party? Would you know Jesus if others didn’t go the ends of the earth loving and sharing Christ with others? If they won’t darken the door of the church, how will they know the Love Jesus has for them, and that he died for them? Go share the good news WHEREVER God calls you to GO!

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